


make it last

by nagare



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Graduation, the faintest hint of kurokei. if you squint really hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 07:12:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6414076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagare/pseuds/nagare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ah.</p><p>It’s done.</p><p>It’s over.</p><p>He… doesn’t belong in this school anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	make it last

Keito kept telling him, over and over, _don’t look back_.

[When you leave, for good, _don’t look back_. Look forward, into the future, where all Yumenosaki’s third years would be headed.

Don’t stay too attached. Remember the people you met here, and keep them in mind. They’ll catch up one day, but don’t let them hinder your progress.

Besides, if you kept on watching over them forever, they’d never grow up and learn to fend for themselves, right?

Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Everyone else is feeling the same thing. We did all that we could to make sure we had no regrets before we left. We all, for a moment, wanted to go back. But no, our path is facing forward. Look back, and everything you’ve worked so hard to accomplish will come undone, if you don’t choose to keep pushing forward.]

Kuro thought they were wise words, and he repeated them to himself internally.

Several months ago, he would have been happy leaving what used to be a hellhole of a school, but things change. The school had changed, and his feelings toward it. Watching his underclassman grow up so quickly—he wondered if he would be overtaken easily by all over them after a year.

Those little squirts, so small, yet so determined. It had set something alight in him, something he didn’t know he had in him before.

_I can’t let them beat me, yet._

And so, Kuro resolved to face forward and keep on marching. Guns blazing, he would leave a glowing path behind him for his underclassmen to follow. He would taunt them, inspire them, all in the name of seeing them reach greater heights. Greater than him.

_Catch me if you can, shrimps._

He snapped out of his thoughts, mind blank, as the announcer shouted something and everyone started clapping.

“Congratulations to you all for graduating Yumenosaki's idol course!”

Ah.

It’s done.

It’s over.

He… doesn’t belong in this school anymore.

The kids….some of them are crying. But he’s sure that they’ll rise up and make this school even more amazing than it is. After all, they’ve shown him so much potential just this past year alone.

It’s not his business.

As they all stepped off the stage, weary-hearted and bleary-eyed, they—his precious classmates—all scattered. All going off in different directions. All climbing onto the paths they chose to take.

And Keito… stiff as always, but fiercely walking through the crowd, pushing his way forward.

It was really admirable, you know? How much persistence this man had in him. Kuro vividly remembered his first impression of this scrawny looking, annoying, glasses prick who wouldn’t leave him alone.

Well, nor did he leave Kuro alone even when they were in a unit together to Kuro’s annoyance, but that really reflected the mental strength of this wimpy-looking twig man.

Kuro followed him.

Both of them, pushing, pushing, ready to go.

Kanzaki, Tetsu—both of them, their eyes certainly filled to the brim with tears by now, those overemotional brats—he wondered if they were really going to be okay. They’d be the only club members left in their clubs, right? Kanzaki doesn’t even have a unit.

He kept on following Keito. Neither of them looked back.

His classmates really were a weird bunch. He wondered what they all chose to do—he didn’t really pry into details. It wasn’t much like him to casually start small talk and listen to gossip.

Ah, he thought. Aren’t those the kids from Trickstar? And the little missy, crying her heart out. They’re all sniffling.

Really, so much turmoil… all over this? It’s not like the graduating kids were all gonna be gone forever. It’s not like they’d lose contact completely.

Really, if he knew these kids were going to be so useless… he wouldn’t be able to sleep easily at night anymore.

Keito never was the extremely physical type, so it was no big deal catching up to him and grabbing onto his collar.

Keito squawked and whipped around, demanding, “Who— Kiryu? What are you—”

And Kuro took no liberties in sweeping Keito upwards in the most dramatic bridal carry he’s done in a while, ignoring Keito’s splutters and the stares of the onlookers who weren’t too busy wrapped up in their own emotions.

“Look at Akatsuki’s leader—or should I say, ex-leader, still so obsessed with his image. Trying to look cool and all in front of his underclassmen, trying to leave without letting anyone see his own tears, eh?” Kuro grinned, swiftly making his way back near the front of the stage.

Kanzaki, Tetsu—those kids in the student council and the archery club Keito left behind—they were waiting for them.

Kuro should have known. Keito was the biggest worrywart he’d ever met. He would be the very last guy to graduate without leaving any regrets. And Keito must be rubbing off horribly on him too, because one look at Kanzaki’s watering eyes made his gut twist. Really, how is this kid even gonna survive like that?

Maybe Keito was right. Maybe if they went back and hugged each other and cried in each others arms one last time, it would be even harder to let go. But you know, you’re never going to get this chance again.

_So make it last._

**Author's Note:**

> all my favourites are third years so their graduation song is actually my funeral song. also, sorry for clogging the tag but i needed to share my pain


End file.
